Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
It is indeed!
This is an educational game series that not only spawned dozens of seqels and spinoffs, sold millions upon millions of copies through the years, but also spawned multiple TV shows (with the latest one being a Netflix show), and two televised game shows on top of that. And in 1985 it all started right here:
What a gorgeous cover. It promises a lot of those VGA GRAPHICS.
Yeah, beautiful cover. Great choice, and well spotted, nijimeijer!
In the same vein, I’ll guess European Air War.
None of the above; next frame -
Silent Hunter 5
Scratch that: Myst
Yup! I knew I shouldn’t have included the shadow of the island on the right. I figured that would be the giveaway.
For all the guff this game got in the past (and sometimes still gets), it was transformative at the time. Sitting alongside 7th Guest, it ushered in a genre of games that I can’t say I loved, but I think still exists to some degree (let’s face it, HOGs are somewhat direct descendants). The world building was actually exceedingly strong, and the series of novels and sequels show that off. I still can’t believe this was never made into films or television. It feels like everyone played this game.
The real reason I chose it, though? The previous title made me think of Broderbund, and even though this shot of the box doesn’t have it, they published the game in North America. What’s funny is that I strongly remember that imprint, but looking at the list of games they published, it’s far smaller than, say, early EA or Activision.
Take it away @Left_Empty, hopefully with a game people have at least played :)
Myst was a fun and interesting experience for me. I loved the setting and the mystery. I understand if trve gamers don’t like it, but it’s one of the very few (maybe only) game of its kind I’ve ever finished in my life.
Besides being about as influential as a game can get, I think Myst is also a truly great game. I think those who naysay it either are reacting to how hugely popular it was outside the gamersphere (like poo-pooing that little indie band when they have a breakout hit) or maybe, with some legitimacy, reacting to the slideshow-with-embedded-Quicktime-movies technology that was used to make it. I don’t think either of those things diminish the originality and the thought put into the setting and puzzles.
Now, 7th Guest… That game was garbage!
Oh, Shadowgate. If that counts, I also played, loved, and finished that one way the hell back when I was in jr high school and on the NES or something. I loved it.
A metal planet appears! Intriguing.
